The Squatters' Movement in Europe is the first definitive guide to squatting as an alternative to capitalism. It offers a unique insider's view on the movement – its ideals, actions and ways of life. At a time of growing crisis in Europe with high unemployment, dwindling social housing and declining living standards, squatting has become an increasingly popular option.

The book is written by an activist-scholar collective, whose members have direct experience of squatting: many are still squatters today. There are contributions from the Netherlands, Spain, the USA, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and the UK.

In an age of austerity and precarity this book shows what has been achieved by this resilient social movement, which holds lessons for policy-makers, activists and academics alike.

Introduction - Claudio Cattaneo and Miguel A. Martínez
1: Squatting as a response to social needs, the housing question and the crisis of capitalism, by Miguel A. Martínez and Claudio Cattaneo:
2: The Fallow Lands of the Possible The Life Cycle of Squats in Geneva and Beyond, by Luca Pattaroni:
3: The Right to Decent Housing and A Whole Lot More Besides - Examining the Modern English Squatters Movement at its Beginnings and in the Present Day, by ETC Dee:
4: The Power of the Magic Key. Scalability of squatting in the Netherlands and the US, by Hans Pruijt:
5: Ogni sfratto sarà una barricata: squatting for housing and social conflict in Rome, by Pierpaolo Mudu
6: Squats in urban ecosystems: overcoming the social and ecological catastrophes of the capitalist city, by Salvatore Engels di Mauro and Claudio Cattaneo
7: Squatting and Diversity - Gender and Patriarchy: In Berlin, Madrid and Barcelona, by Azozomox
8: Unavoidable Dilemmas: Squatters dealing with the Law, by Miguel A. Martínez, Azozomox and Javier Gil
Conclusions Miguel A. Martínez and Claudio Cattaneo
Appendix: The story of SqEK and the production process of this book, by Claudio Cattaneo, Baptiste Colin and Elisabeth Lorenzi
Index

Claudio Cattaneo teaches ecological economics at the University of Edinburgh and the Università Carlo Cattaneo in Castellanza, Italy. He is a squatter, bicycle mechanic and olive farmer. Miguel A. Martínez López has been an activist-researcher in the squatting movement for more than a decade. He is one of the founders of the SqEK (Squatting Europe Kollective) network.SqEK is a network of activist-researchers which started to meet in 2009. It has held meetings held in Madrid, Milan, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, New York and Paris. Find out more at: http://sqek.squat.net.